Chapter 56

Ki looks around the room and asks, 'What's with the blood all over the floor?'

I had scrambled to the kitchen to clean up the mess all over the bar, the floor, and stool I had been on. Nick had gotten the door and now Ki gave us both a questioning look. Nick replies, 'Nina tried to drink some blood and...'

Before he could say more I barge in saying, 'The glass slipped. I was being stupid by using my bad arm.'

Ki looks between us and shrugs murmuring, 'Who am I to judge?'

A blush flashes across my face as I'm about to tell him he had it wrong when he pulls my phone from his jacket pocket. I startle and ask, 'W-where did you get that?'

I take it from him as he replies, 'You dropped it in the tunnel. I'm guessing when you where fighting off the ghouled it slipped from you pocket.'

It was a distinct possibility and I sigh with relief saying, 'Thank you.'

'Not a problem.'

I turn it back on, having not even checked it after landing. My mind having been distracted by Ki's vulgar cousin. It takes a moment, but then it chimes unexpectedly. I frown looking down at it and see a voicemail. Ki takes the towel from me and says, 'I'll have a cleaning crew come in to take care of this.'

Nodding I step away, putting the phone to my ear listening to voicemail as Ki says, 'We have already found three other tunnel entrances in Kita, seems this isn't the only one...'

'Hey Nina, I know your busy and all but you could at least answer your favorite and best PA!' Jerry's voice rings into my ear.

A smile hints at my lips as I listen on, 'Well so far I haven't found any other towns or anything that come remotely close to what your looking for anymore. But I've been having some nagging doubts about the one in Texas... Mart... you know. Well... um... you see Nina...'

My smile slowly fades and my eyes widen with sudden fear for my friend and assistant as he says, 'I'm in Mart... surprise!'

I pause the voicemail and whirl around yelling, 'Nick! We have to go! We have to go now!!!'

--D--

My hand was gripping the doorhandle as I dialed Jerry again. Nick and Ki had seen the desperarion on my face when I told them we had to leave Kita.

Now the SUV was speeding down the freeway towards Mart. The night had barely come as we had gotten to Houston from Japan and then deboarded in a hanger to get in a smaller private plane to go to the Waco airport.

Nick says as we moved quickly down the road, 'Don't be surprised if Jerry doesn't answer his phone, it seems very...wild out here.'

Ki chuckles from the front seat saying, 'That's an understatment, almost feel a sweat of fear knowing we are so far from a hotel. Thankfully its so late and we have hours before the sun rises.'

I knew Ki was trying to ease my fear, but I close my eyes hard, listening to the drulling phone. At every stop from Japan to here I had called Jerry, to no avail. With each call dread filled my heart. I growl out, 'Why does that man never listen.'

Both Nick and Ki look at me. They had seen my worry build and now it was worse than ever. We had left Japan just before Igor was to arrive to take over the investigation and put someone at the mine in Hong Kong. Too much was happening all at once, the tunnels, the missing people, the ghoul, the bite, the need for blood, and now this. My mind was melting with fear and worry. Jerry was one of the last remaining human friends I had left and losing him would do something to me I wasn't ready to experience.

The fork comes and we exit towards Mart. My breathing grew swift and Nick says impatiently, 'Calm down, your like a panicing human right now.'

I glare at him until I feel his pheremones hit me, and it smelled different from those that would make me choke with fear; it smelled like a summar breeze and sea salt. Funny enough it calmed me as the last twenty miles passed. Ki looked over his shoulder at Nick with a frown, but didn't say anything.

Suddenly the driver slams on the brakes and we are thrown against our seatbelts. Nick snarls, power building, 'What is the meaning of this Kalvin!'

The young vampire jerks, his golden head turning as he says hesitant at first, 'S-sorry sir, but the road.'

We look out the front and it was as he said, the road...was gone.

Stepping out of the car, we walk to the edge and look beyond. It was as if the road simply dead ended and I say startled, 'Look a jeep!'

I run over to it and look inside. There was nothing, but something told me it was Jerry's. Ki had walked off the road and onto the sandy soil and grass beyond before saying, 'The road is still here, but a majority of it has been grated down, there is gravel patches.'

'Who would do that?' I ask, walking over to them once again, the lights of the SUV beaming on us.

Nick says in a monotone, 'Someone with something to hide.'

Getting back in the car, Nick says to Kalvin, 'Drive on, the road is still there, just go slowly.'

The young vampire nods, looking back at me before continuing on. Ki was all business now, the humor gone from his face, now sharp and focused.

It was a bumpy ride, but sure enough, we bump back onto an asphalt road ten minutes later and into a ghost town. The lights of a gas station on, a few bulbs flicking with life from another porch and I climb out of the SUV before it even comes to complete stop with Nick telling me to wait.

But I slam the door on his face as I scream out into the moonless night, 'Jerry!'

Only the sound of wind whipping through the tall unmown grass of the yards greeted me, as well as the stray cricket. Cupping my mouth again, I yell out his name, walking past the ring of light cast by the gas station where the SUV stopped. Nick and Ki had climbed out with Nick hot on my heels. He grabs my arm, his pheremones making me choke back my next call as he hisses, 'What are you doing?!

'Trying to find my friend!' I say forcefully, wrenching at my arm.

His grip was like iron and no amout of tugging would remove it from his grasp as he snarls, 'He's probably dead by now!'

My eyes widen, staring up at this cold blooded Dracul Pureblood and I snarl, 'Don't you dare say that to me! Unless I find a body, I won't stop searching!'

Nick looks at me, eyes calm and unmoved. He was made of steel, uncaring, as he says calmly, 'Be rational bitten, the chances of finding him are slim.'

Suddenly a beam of light falls on us with a flash and we both turn to it. A voice I thought might be coming from the grave speaks, 'Someone get out of the wrong side of the coffin again?'

Nick lets me go and I rush towards Jerry with a cry of happiness. I heard Ki chuckling as he came up beside Nick saying, 'You two were so busy arguing to even notice the boy coming up on you.'

I wrap Jerry in a hug saying in a wavering voice, 'You stupid PA!'

'Oh so I'm stupid now am I. What a greeting!'

Gripping Jerry's shoulders lightly as not to hurt him, I nearly yell at him, 'I told you to stay in Costa Rica! Why did you come here?!'

'There was something fishy going on and I knew I wouldn't be of any use sitting at resort with a bandwidth of like twelve searching the internet for conspiracy theories all day,' Jerry says sarcastically.

Sighing, I remember once again why I both love this man dearly and also want to strangle him with my bare hands, quick work for a phantom like me.

That's when I hear a soft female voice say, 'Hello Ms. Simmons its been a while.'